March 29, 2002

Finns beat Norway in Champions League

Thorsten Frennstedt

Friday, March 29, 2002

HJK Helsinki is through to the semi-final round of Europe´s new Champions League. The Finns beat Trondheims/Örn of Norway in the 2nd leg by 2-0. Umeå IK however won against TNK Ryazan 3-1. Umeå will face HJK Helsinki on home soil in the first semi-final.

Trondheim/Örn had only a 2-1-win from the home game against Helsinki. The Norwegains had not lost a single game for more than one and a half year. No one had doubted they would do it in the most important match of the year.

It was a sad farewell for Unni Lhen, one of the team´s many international players who now goes to join her new team mates in Carolina Courage.

Laura Kalmari scored the two goals for Helsinki.

Umeå had to play Ryazan in Albena, Bulgaria, because the Russian team could not offer a stadium of international standard at home. Umeå won the 1st leg 4-1. Hanna Ljungberg scored 1-0 i in the 2nd after just 5 minutes. She even scored another to make it 2-0 before Ryazan made it 2-1. Lotta Runesson scored to make it 3-1 for an easy win for Umeå.

On Saturday Toulouse plays Arsenal and on Sunday FFC Frankfurt plays Odense BK of Denmark. Frankfurt has already secured a place in the semi-final round of Europe´s new Champions Leaugue.